debates

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U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) following Monday's debate

BOSTON - U.S. Sen. John Kerry and his Republican challenger Jeff Beatty met for round two Monday in another feisty debate that ranged from social issues to the current financial crisis facing the country.

For the first time in the race, both candidates discussed social issues at length. With Monday's news of an 8-year-old's accidental death while shooting an Uzi at a gun show in Westfield, both candidates were asked what they would do to make sure such an event never happens again.

Beatty said he has worked in the past to help keep schools safe and said the country needs "to enforce the laws we have."

"I think that if we enforce the laws we have, we'll be OK," he said.

Kerry, in contrast, said the current loophole that allows citizens to purchase weapons at gun shows needs to be closed.

"It just  defies common sense that we have people that can go out, through the gun show loophole, and buy semi-automatics anywhere in the country without adequate background checks," the senator said. "We have to close that loophole."

WELLESLEY - In a Sunday debate, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank and challengers Susan Allen and Earl Sholley offered significantly different views on the causes of Afghanistan's recent deterioration and how to reverse it.

Allen, a Democrat who is running as an independent, blamed the CIA for Afghanistan's downward spiral and presented a theory that links Afghanistan's drug production with the now-accepted conclusion that the 9/11 attacks originated in Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan used to be a healthy country," she said. "It has been alleged that the CIA highly encouraged the people of this country to grow drugs. And these drugs were used obviously not for food but for exportation. This is the allegation. And then when the farmers, in conjunction with the government, tried to pull back and reduce the percentage of drugs grown for exportation this country, it was decided that Afghanistan attacked the United States on 9/11."

NECN announced Thursday that it will re-air Monday's debate between U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Republican challenger Jeff Beatty on Friday and Saturday. The one-hour debate will air Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 11:30 p.m.

Monday's debate was the first of two debates between Kerry and Beatty. The second will take place Monday at 1 p.m. on WTKK radio. That debate will also be one hour long.

NEWTON - In remarks following his debate with U.S. Sen. John Kerry, Republican challenger Jeff Beatty again criticized Kerry for his vote for the Wall Street bailout plan, the Iraq War and said that his campaign is "exactly where we thought we'd be two weeks before the election."

Republican Jeff Beatty at the debate Monday night: Politicker PhotoBeatty was quick to say that he was glad he was asked about the economy because the Wall Street bailout bill is on all voters' minds.

"This is a bad bill," the Harwich Republican said. "This is a bill where the citizens of Massachusetts are being told that they are going to back - at the tune of $7,000 per household - they are going to bailout John Kerry's special interest buddies who have donated to him $19 million over the time that he's been in the Senate."

NEWTON - Republican challenger Jeff Beatty took numerous swings at John Kerry in a contentious debate here Monday night, and the Boston Democrat defended his record, firing back a few salvos of his own.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston): Politicker PhotoThe most heated moment of the night came during the foreign policy discussion. Beatty, a former Army Delta Force officer and CIA officer, sharply criticized Kerry for his 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq and accused him of casting his vote for political reasons.

"I would not have gone into Iraq. I saw the information. I realized it was insufficient. Same information Sen. Kerry could have read if he had wanted to read in the National Intelligence Estimate. We never should have gone into Iraq," Beatty said. "You knew when you voted for that war that we didn't have what we needed to go to war. And you didn't care because it was all about getting elected president. You've got blood on your hands for 500 Massachusetts families who have had a loved one wounded or killed, over 80 killed. And you voted for that war because your advisors told you vote for it, it will help you get elected president."

Asked to respond, Kerry was blunt.

"It's insulting. And it's frankly disgusting, to be truthful with you," the senator said. "I would never do that as a combat veteran. The fact is, I did better than read the NIE. I went over and met with the intelligence officers. I met with [former CIA head] George Tenet, I went to the National Security Council. I talked at length with [former Secretary of State] Colin Powell. I did all the due diligence. And frankly it was Colin Powell's conversation with me that persuaded me that they were going to do the things the president promised -- exhaust the remedies, go to the U.N., do the inspections. And frankly, every promise was broken and I did exactly what I said I was going to do: I opposed it and I've led the opposition because they broke their promises."

Republican challenger Jeff Beatty said Thursday that he is looking forward to his first debate against John Kerry, but he portrayed himself as the underdog in the fight.

Jeff Beatty (R-Harwich)After weeks of negotiations, Beatty and Kerry are set to meet in their first of two debates Monday night on NECN's NewsNight.

The Harwich Republican told PolitickerMA.com that he is looking forward to the debate and that he expects it to draw high ratings despite the New England Patriots Monday Night Football game starting halfway through the contest.

"I think it's going to be tremendous," the Harwich Republican said. "We're going to be the most watched station I'm sure that night."

After weeks of negotiating, half of the first debate between U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Republican challenger Jeff Beatty is slated to take place during the same time as Monday's New England Patriots game.

New England PatriotsThe debate is scheduled for next Monday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on NECN's NewsNight. Kick-off for the Patriots Monday night game against the Denver Broncos is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

Sources in both campaigns told PolitickerMA.com the conflict wasn't intentional. Iris Adler, NECN's news director, said the two campaigns agreed to appear on NewsNight and that Monday was the day that worked for both camps. Since "NewsNight" airs at 8 p.m., that's when the debate was scheduled.

Jeff Beatty (R-Harwich)U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston)

U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Republican challenger Jeff Beatty will meet for the first of two debates on Monday at 8 p.m. on NECN, according to sources in both campaigns.

Kerry and Beatty agreed to two debates at the beginning of October, one on NECN and one on WTKK radio. The details of the second debate, which will take place on Oct. 27 on WTKK radio, were released Tuesday but the specifics of the televised NECN debate, which will last one hour, took longer to finalize.

Jeff Beatty (R-Harwich)Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston)

The date and time for one of U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Republican challenger Jeff Beatty's debates is set for Monday, Oct. 27, according to WTKK radio.

Kerry and Beatty will appear on Jim Braude and Margery Eagan's WTKK radio show on Oct. 27 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., the station said.

According to WTKK's release, the Kerry, a Boston Democrat, and Beatty, a Harwich Republican, will spend 45 minutes in a "traditional, yet conversational format with each candidate answering questions on the big state and national issues facing Massachusetts residents." That will be following by 10 minutes of "rapid-fire" questions from WTKK listeners and other media. Beatty and Kerry will then have up to 96 seconds for closing statements.

John Olver's campaign said this week that the congressman is busy campaigning through Massachusetts' 1st Congressional District and is preparing for three debates with Republican challenger Nathan Bech.

U.S. Rep. John Olver (D-Amherst)In a statement submitted to PolitickerMA.com, Debra Guachione, Olver's campaign manager, said the campaign is "busy getting organized for the upcoming election" and finalizing a debate schedule with Bech.

"We are in the process of scheduling debates with our general election opponent, Nathan Bech," Guachione said. "We anticipate participating in three debates in various regions and in a variety of debate settings so that voters from throughout the 1st District will have an opportunity to hear the differences between both candidates and make a choice in November."